Medicated cigarette



April 1947. s. s. FREDERICKSON 2,418,295

MEDICATED CIGARETTE Filed April 17,1944

' INVENTOR. SARAH S. FREDRICKSON ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 1, 1947 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to medicated tobacco, and more particularly to amedicated cigarette useful in 'the relief of the symptoms of hay fever.

Probably the most generally accepted explanation of hay fever is that itis caused by local irritation of the mucous membrane of the respiratorypassages, by the impingement thereupon of sman protein bodies to .whichthe sufferer may be susceptible.

Logically, relief may be obtained by protecting the mucous membrane fromdirect contact by these protein particles, and it is a common expedientto apply a protective coating of some unguent substance to the mucousmembrane lining of the nostrils, generally with the end of the finger.Petroleum jelly has been commonly employed, but as this liquefies at thetemperature of the body, the coating is not lasting but soon drains fromthe surface to which it is applied. Lanolin has been used for thispurpose to a limited extent, and is better than petroleum jelly in thatit does not melt at body temperature, and therefore, affords a morepermanent protective coat, but when applied in mass, it is more herentthan adherent, particularly with respect to the moist interior surfacesof the nostril, 'and is difficult to spread. In either instance, thedepth to which the coating may extend is limited by the size of theapplicator, so that the smaller passages are unprotected.

The general object of the present invention is to apply to the mucousmembrane of the respiratory passages by inhalation, a gradually acquiredprotective coating of a grease vehicle which melts at a higher than bodytemperature, through the smoking of a tobacco medicated with suchgrease, preferably in the form of a cigarette.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a medicated cigarette embodying theprinciples of the invention;

Figure 2 shows more or less diagrammatically, a group of tobacco flakes,showing in mixture, certain flakes medicated and others unmedicated, ina ratio contemplated by the invention.

The medicated tobacco consists of a mixture of tobacco comminuted in theform in which it is to be smoked, whether in a pipe, cigar, orcigarette, in the approximate proportions of a heaping teaspoonful oftobacco and a teaspoonful of the melted selected grease, which may bemutton tallow, lanoline or any other nonirritating animal fat or othercoating substance which melts at. a higher temperature than the body,and vaporizes 2 atthe temperature generated in the combustion of thetobacco.

From the standpoint of manufacture, insofar as experimentation has beencarried, mutton tallow is preferred, since it may be melted, cooled andchopped into pieces of more uniform fineness, preparatory to mixing withthe tobacco, than other greases which have been tried. A teaspoonful oftincture of benZoin may be advantageously incorporated into the mixturefor its soothing effect upon the tissues of the respiratory tract and asa mask for the flavor imparted by the grease, although it is notessential to the invention.

In preparing this mixture, the melted mutton tallow is mixed with thebenzoin and the mixture permitted to cool. Then it is kneaded up withthe tobacco. It is important to note that the purpose of incorporatingthe tallow, with or without the benzoin, in solid form, is to cause aslittle saturation as possible of the tobacco, since substantialsaturation interferes with the combustion of the tobacco flake.

Furthermore, it is desired to bring the tallow particle carried by thetobacco flake to a state of incipient vapor at a temperaturesufficiently low to prevent decomposition of the tallow, which producesan acrid smoke. By my invention the tobacco is vaporized upon an ember,the temperature of which, as contrasted with a flame, is sufficient tovaporize the tallow but not to decompose it. The tallow vapor beingclose to its liquefaction point is believed almost immediately tocondense about the minute solid particles which constitute the tobaccosmoke, much in the same manner as rain is formed by the condensation ofwater vapor upon dust particles in the air, and

is inhaled against the mucous membrane of the respiratory passages inthe form of minute liquid or solid globules, thus gradually building upa protective coating as the tobacco is smoked.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, the numeral I represents a flakeof tobacco carrying a film or coating 2 of tallow, unmedicated flakesbeing shown at 3, and themedicated cigarette being designated by thereference character 4.

In preparing a finished tobacco, one portion of the treated tobacco isthoroughly mixed with three or four portions of untreated tobacco. Thecombustibility of the tobacco mixture is thereby improved, and adilution of the medicament grease effected to give the tobacco asubstantially natural taste in which the flavor imparted by the tallowis practically indiscernible.

The treated tobacco, as above described, may be smoked in anyconventional manner, in a pipe, or in the form of a cigar or cigarette,but since pipes and cigars are seldom inhaled, while the cigarette isalmost universally inhaled, the cigarette is a preferred form foroptimum beneficial effects.

The above disclosed technique for manufacturing the treated tobacco doesnot exclude other processes of manufacture which lead to substantiallythe same results.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. Medicated smoking tobacco mixture comprising a major portion ofuntreated tobacco flakes and a minor portion of tobacco flakes coated,to the substantial exclusion of absorption, with a nonirritatingsubstance, in solid state, consisting of an animal fat having a highermelting point than body temperature, and vaporizing withoutdecomposition at ember temperature.

2. Medicated smoking tobacco mixture comprising a major portion ofuntreated tobacco flakes and a minor portion of tobacco flakes coated,to the substantial exclusion of absorption, with a substance in solidform selected from the following group: mutton tallow, lanoline.

3. Cigarette useful in the treatment of hay fever comprising a mixtureof a, major portion of untreated tobacco flakes and a minor portion oftobacco flakes coated, to the substantial exclusion of absorption, witha nonirritating coating substance, in solid state, consisting of ananimal fat having a higher melting point than body temperature andvaporizing without decomposition at ember temperature.

. 4. Cigarette useful in the relief of hay fever comprising a mixture ofa major portion of untreated tobacco flakes and a minor portion oftobacco flakes coated, to the substantial exclusion of absorption, witha substance, in solid state, selected from the following group: muttontallow, lanolin.

SARAH S. FREDERICKSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS England 1892

